


Tired Eyes

by bluejayy



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Post-Canon, i haven't written in like a billion years and this is really short but i got bored
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 10:37:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11826972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluejayy/pseuds/bluejayy
Summary: The boys haven't been doing too great ever since their Yamis passed on.





	Tired Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> good lord i've never actually written anything before so here we go i guess

It’s been another sleepless night. 

As much as Yugi tries to relax and slow his breathing, he can’t seem to slip into the bliss of unconsciousness. He can only lay restlessly watching as the hours pass by. 1am. 2am. 3am. 

Rolling over for what seems like the hundredth time, Yugi’s eye catches as the clock ticks from 3:59 to 4am. He sighs and sits up, running a hand through his already disheveled hair, a mess from his late-night fidgeting. The small boy sits for a moment resting his head in his hands; thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. Feeling the exhaustion behind his tired eyelids, sinking through his bones. The kind of deep-seated exhaustion that can’t quite be cured by sleep. 

Letting out a shaky breath, Yugi turns and pushes himself to his feet, deciding that sleep was a lost cause for the night. He walked down the dim hallway and out into the living room, lit softly by the moon through the windows, giving everything it touched a soft silvery sheen. The world was a different place in these hours, the otherworldly in-between of late night and early morning. It was quiet, and the boy crept towards the kitchen, as if afraid to break the delicate stillness that rested throughout the apartment.

With familiarity, Yugi starts up a gentle flame over the stove, placing a small kettle above it to start warming up while he searched for what else he needed. Quickly locating his favorite mug, he plucked it off of its place on the bottom shelf along with the box of tea. His fingers deftly rifled through its contents until he found what he was looking for - chamomile. By now the water was just starting to steam, and Yugi flipped the switch off before the kettle began to whistle. He dropped the tea bag in his mug, poured a bit of water over it, and added a bit of honey and lemon before gently bringing the cup to his usual place in the corner of the couch.

It had been about a year or so since Atem had passed on. Yugi and his friends had all graduated from Domino High, with Tea leaving for dance school in America, and Joey and Tristan leaving soon after to follow their own pursuits. For the last few months, Yugi and Ryou had been rooming together, each unsure of where they wanted to go next in life but wary of being alone.

It had been a year but it hadn’t gotten any easier than when the pharaoh had first left. He was the closest friend Yugi had ever had, understood him in a way that no one else did. They had developed a strong and powerful connection over their journey to restore Atem’s memories. Yugi had never stopped thinking of him. There were moments when he was distracted by his friends and loved ones, but in the end his thoughts always circled back to the Egyptian and their time together.

Yugi stared out the window at the night sky; sipping at his tea, soaking in the stillness of the night and losing himself in his thoughts. He didn’t know how long it had been before he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. He jumped and suppressed a startled squeak as he turned towards his white haired roommate behind him, who looked down at him with a gentle smile and a set of sad, tired eyes to match his own.

“Trouble sleeping again?” His voice was soft, and seemed to wrap around Yugi comfortingly.

“Unfortunately,” Yugi said, giving a small smile and turning his head away from Ryou.

There was a beat of silence. It felt like both a second and a lifetime, a moment that stretched out, but in reality, not as long as it seemed. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though. It was a quiet that felt understanding. The kind of quiet between two people who didn’t need to speak to know what the other was feeling. A kind of quiet made from a multitude of experiences together, a difficult past, and shared pain.

Ryou softly excused himself to the kitchen, and returned with a cup of tea of his own, taking his place on the couch beside the wild-haired boy. It was a routine they knew well. Ryou pulled a nearby blanket around them, while Yugi bent forward to retrieve the TV remote. Handing it off to the taller boy, Yugi made himself comfortable in the crook of Ryou’s arm, while Ryou scrolled through their movie options and the two settled down to wait out the rest of the night.


End file.
